Main menu

Main menu

Giving Birth is 90% in Your Head!

By

February 27, 2011

February 27, 2011
| by

This is something that I feel very strongly about and tell all my mums-to-be! If we are going to get through this labour it all starts in our heads, after all our bodies were made to do this. It is the same with anything, the mind is a powerful thing and can impact any situation.

Let me clarify, by mind I mean our attitudes and thoughts towards something. As in most things in life our attitudes and mind sets determine the outcome, and birth is no different. What you think about something produces how you feel about it. Try to get sad without first having sad thoughts or nervous without having anxious thoughts! You can’t do it can you? To experience a feeling you must first have the thought that produces and enhances that feeling.

So instead of us listening to and sharing stories of labours that make us fear labour and think of it as a totally painful near death experience, should we not talk about the positive births? If those of us who have had our babies share positive and exciting and uplifting birth stories with mums-to-be they will start to see birth and labour for the wonder that it is.To those mums-to-be start surrounding yourselves with stories and people that are positive and uplifting and that see birth as a wonderful miraculous time.

Our minds are powerful things and as we think so are we. So next time a mum shares a “horror” birth story walk away or ask her to rather not tell you. Its a choice what we allow our minds to be filled with and to be honest, if I had a choice between a positive uplifting story that will fill my mind with positive thoughts and make me feel positive about giving birth over a fearful one…. I know which I would chose.

My challenge to all women out there who have had or are having babies; Focus on the positive, surround yourselves with positive stories (Ina May Gaskin – Spiritual Midwifery or Ina May’s Guide to Childbirth”) and lets change the birthing sector and attitudes towards giving birth one Mum at a time.